


Requited

by Poptartsss



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Romance, Spoilers for the big fight, they finally say it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 05:45:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10507503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poptartsss/pseuds/Poptartsss
Summary: “Would you do this… for anyone else?” Sasuke, avoiding Naruto’s gaze, looked towards the sky.“I treasure the bonds that I’ve made. I’m not leaving any of my friends behind.”Sasuke tightened his lips into a hard line. The stars glimmered dimly, so cold and far away.“But honestly, I don’t think anyone else could have affected me as much as you have.”Taken aback, Sasuke looked over to Naruto, who was already facing him.“All this time… I considered you my closest friend. More so, even.” Naruto confided, “And I would do anything for you.”----The last of the final battle, in which Sasuke realizes what he's done and Naruto just wants to find the right word.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been so many years, but I’m almost at the end of Naruto. I finally got to this fight, and was inspired to tweek it a little. So here it is, because life’s too short to not write at least one SasuNaru fic!

Sasuke took a deep breath, opening his eyes for the first time since his chidori met Naruto’s rasengan.

 _Where…?_ He felt like he had been here before. He stared into the vast darkness, waiting for answers to come to him. He felt empty, his hatred dissipated and his mind hazy.

Suddenly, familiar scenes materialized before him.

_These are… Naruto’s…_

Memories of bitter loneliness. Days spent staring at the ceiling, scorning the village that rejected him. Flashes of the village they grew up in, the Great Stone faces, the Hokage’s office, the front of Ichiraku.

Memories of the first friends he had made. Iruka, giving him a light pat on the back. Laughing and fighting amongst Team 7, Kakashi reading his book.

 _These are… his memories…_ Sasuke couldn’t help but stare with sullen interest at what he was being shown. A young Naruto pointing a finger in Sasuke’s face, Sakura trying to diffuse the tension. The scene of his old team dissolved, fading away as a new memory came to light.

It was snowing. Mountains surrounded the area like a fence, and pine trees swayed in the breeze. Naruto stood with Kakashi, Sai, and a jonin he didn’t know. Sasuke was an outsider looking in, as if he was living it. He couldn’t feel the cold, but he could see the redness in Naruto’s face, the accumulation of snow on his cloak and on his bangs, the puffs of breath escaping his parted lips every few seconds. He looked dejected, as if the weather was icing over his heart.

 _“Yamato. Take Naruto and head back to the village,”_ Kakashi ordered, “ _I’ll bring Sakura back. She’s no match for Sasuke. It would be like she’s going there to die.”_

Sasuke listened to Kakashi, but kept his eyes firmly on Naruto’s face, taking in the way his eyes narrowed and brow furrowed just as Kakashi finished his sentence.

_Did you hate me then, Naruto?_

Kakashi continued, but Sasuke was too distracted by the utter hurt on Naruto’s face. His lips were pulled into a straight line, his eyes downcast and miserable, his brow a mix between sadness and anger. _This was… just before I killed Danzo._  

_“Sai… take me to Sakura.”_

_“Yes.”_

Naruto let out a heaved breath, grunting and baring his teeth. He clenched his fist, clearly on the verge of tears. Sasuke felt a pang in his heart. He was standing in front of the Naruto that had to deal with the consequences of Sasuke’s actions, a memory of how he tried to help even when Sasuke wanted nothing to do with him.

The others in this memory couldn’t see it, but Sasuke could clearly mark the moment when Naruto’s cheeks and lips turned from a rosy pink to flushed of all color.

Naruto let out another rugged breath, bringing his fist firmly to his side. His breath hitched. His eyes shut tight. Another breath, then another, each one coming on harder, his chest heaving. Sasuke furrowed his brow.

 _Naruto...?_ He unknowingly took a step foward.

This was just a memory and he felt foolish for reacting to it, but he had never seen this sort of distress coming from the blond.

Kakashi looked upon Naruto with concerned eyes, _“Naruto… is something wrong?”_

The labored gasps only got worse, Naruto clenched both hands to his chest as if trying to keep his heart from bursting out. Grunts and whimpers escaped, each more desperate than the last, until finally he dropped heavily to his knees.

In the same moment, Sasuke’s body moved all on its own, as he lunged forward to try to catch Naruto. But it was a dream, a memory being shown to him, and the Naruto he reached for slipped right through his fingers and slammed onto the blanket of snow below. Sasuke cursed himself for being so impulsive, and he quickly stepped back to watch whatever this was happening to Naruto.

He dropped onto his side with a thud, a hand clenched to his chest the whole way down. His sharp inhales haunted Sasuke, he wanted so badly to stop watching, but there was nothing he could do. Even if he shut his eyes, the erratic heaves would still be assaulting his ears. So he watched on, absorbed in Naruto’s suffering.

“ _Calm down, Naruto!”_ Kakashi begged.

” _He’s hyperventilating.”_

 _“Breathe slowly!”_ Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder, but Sasuke doubted that he could even hear them at this point.

“ _Naruto!”_

_”Naruto… Can you hear me? Naruto!”_

Kakashi shook his shoulder lightly, trying to summon his attention, but it was no use. Naruto’s breathing ceased, his clenched hand relaxed, and his body went limp. Sasuke looked on, seeing the three shinobi gather around their comrad with urgency. Kakashi flipped Naruto onto his back, putting his ear onto his chest. One, two... three seconds passed.

“ _He’ll be okay. We have to go.”_

Sasuke didn't realize he’d held his breath the whole time. He stared helplessly, feeling his own breathing become irregular, his blood rushing in his ears.

This had to be an episode of panic, out of the fear of losing his closest friends. At this point in the memory, Sasuke had been blinded by hate and fueled with vengeance against the Leaf. Naruto was put in a situation where his two best friends were about to try and kill each other, and he just couldn't fathom it. This was the result. Sasuke clenched his jaw and forced himself to look upon Naruto’s too-still body. 

_No… this is not what I wanted… I…_

Seeing Naruto like this, defeated and uncharacteristically afraid, made Sasuke realized how much he hated the sight. A revelation dawned upon him-- he thought killing Naruto to sever his only bond would make him stronger, but having witnessed this, his death would only make him remorseful. 

_Why did it take so long… to realize that?_

A blackness descended and closed in around him, the snowy landscape fading, the four figures dissipating into the dark. Sasuke closed his eyes, letting to darkness consume him too. He could feel the energy changing, and when light returned he was surrounded by four walls.

“ _I was… dreaming about Sasuke…”_ Naruto’s murmuring echoed around him.

Sasuke was standing in front of a window, looking down at the jonin that Kakashi had called ‘Yamato’. Naruto stared solemnly at his hands, slouched on a bed mat.

“ _You’re going back to the village with me.”_ Yamato explained softly, _“They’re Kakashi’s orders.”_

Naruto chose not to listen. He rose with a grunt, taking slow but determined steps past Sasuke and to his supply pouch. Sasuke watched him closely as he went, taking in his despondent eyes, the ones that were as blue as the sky and supposed to be filled with just as much sunshine.

 _They look like my eyes…_ The thought escaped him.

Suddenly, rectangular branches spawned from Yamato’s arm, loosely encasing Naruto. Once again, Sasuke had reacted on his instincts and went into a defensive position before he could remind himself that he was in a memory. One of the branches passed right through him, validating he did not exist. He could only watch, and realize all that Naruto endured for him.

Yamato explained why he couldn’t leave, and Naruto dejectedly accepted.

“ _Fine.”_

The scene faded to black again, so quickly that Sasuke had not expected it. He felt a rush of wind pass him, black hair flowing wildly about. 

 _Naruto... I dreamt of you, too_.

The wind stopped. Sasuke was still, preparing himself for whatever was next. Another vision appeared before him:

An Uchiha crest, a burst of ebony hair, and a cocky attitude. He was watching himself from the time he was confronted by Sakura and Kakashi. With incredible speed, his past self shot across the water and cruelly caught Sakura by the throat, holding her in place to prepare for a finishing blow with a kunai she herself had tried to use against him.

The current Sasuke wasn’t prepared to see this. He witnessed the madness hazing over his own eyes, the readiness to kill someone he should have cared for-- relentless and without a second thought. He felt denial in his identity, as if this Sasuke was someone else entirely.

_I was… a monster._

The kunai swung. Naruto swooped in, rescuing Sakura who had yelped in surprise. The past Sasuke had a murderous intent manifesting on his face. Naruto glared back at him, a fresh line of red across his cheek, and a furious expression. They exchanged words, but the current Sasuke was too focused on the blood trailing down the three lines of Naruto’s cheek to register what was said.

“ _Now do you understand, Naruto, Sakura?”_ Kakashi stressed, “ _His intent to kill is real_.”

Sasuke looked upon his past self, disgusted when his lips pulled up into a malicious grin, eyes wide and wild. 

_Naruto… how did you not give up on me at this point? Look how far gone I was._

Despite everything, Naruto stepped closer.

“ _Sasuke, I heard the truth about Itachi from a guy named Tobi…_ ” Sasuke’s heart ached at the mention of his brother, “ _What you’ve been doing is… understandable_.”

He remembers the shock he felt from this moment. He never expected Itachi’s truth to be heard by others, especially not Naruto. His past self was furious, how dare he talk about Sasuke’s pain like he knew anything about it? Sasuke's current self acknowledged that Naruto probably knew all too well what it was like. To be completely alone, isolated and rejected. It was a special kind of tragedy that they shared.

 _“Do you know what Naruto has gone through for you?!”_ Sakura shouted, her voice echoing around him.

_For me… why did he…_

“ _Naruto alone tried to rescue you!”_ herwords stabbed through him.

 _“I swear I’ll save you from the chaos of vengeance!”_ Naruto spoke, resolute.

The past Sasuke rejected Naruto’s promise, and bragged about killing that bastard Danzo. He boisterously talked about his revenge, about the pride of the Uchiha, about his desire to kill everyone in the Leaf. Sasuke didn’t want to hear himself talk anymore. He was so ashamed of this person. 

A fight ensued between chidori and rasengan, but he had to turn away. He walked underneath the bridge and hid behind a massive stone. Looking to the water, he stared down upon his reflection. Two unrevealing black eyes stared back-- an emotionless expression masking inner torment. How has he changed from the person he just saw, to who he’s just seen? Sasuke felt there have been so many versions of himself, with countless different ambitions. He was always changing, adapting to whatever cruel twist of fate life brought to him. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto remained consistent. Since leaving the village, Naruto claimed to always have had one goal.

In a blink, the river beneath him and the bridge above were gone, along with Kakashi and Sakura. He was standing directly beside his past self, the two Sasukes looking at Naruto from across a vast sky of bright white clouds and shooting stars.

“ _From then on, you’ve been my goal.”_

The current Sasuke felt himself crushed, succumbing to the weight of devotion Naruto had exclusively for him. Sasuke looked over to his past self to see Naruto’s words unheard and disregarded. Sasuke could hardly stand to be near this person. It stung to behold the extent of how lost he truly was back then, and to see the effect it had Naruto.

The bright sky turned black, and the memory dissipated.

Sasuke was left drowning in a black abyss, Sakura’s words ringing in his ears: _“Do you know what Naruto has gone through for you?!”_

He stood alone, swallowed by guilt. Clenching his fists to his sides and hanging his head, his eyes solemnly closed.

_He’s gone through hell._

A voice echoed out: “So have you, you know.”

He felt the energy of his surroundings change again, but this time seemed different. It felt pleasantly warm, like there was a soft glow eminating in front of him. The energy he perceived was real and tangible, not just an illusion of things come to pass. He knew that voice and he could easily recognize the chakra signature.

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and raised his head.

A genuine and elated smile greeted him from a boy with yellow hair and bright blue eyes.

The two of them were standing on nothingness, engulfed in a sea of yellow stars.

He had been there before.

 

* * *

 

Waking came with a fierce pain ripping through every part of his body. The worst of it happened all at once in a fiery wave when he tried to shift himself up. His arm-- an unidentified agony was in his arm. He looked down and realized why.

It was gone. Naruto’s too, they were both gone. All that remained was crimson splatter, an “x” trailing dark silhouette of where the ghosts of two hands converged.  

It had come to this. He realized far too late that the goal he had moments ago, to rule the shinobi world with hatred, was not what he wanted. It was the ideas of someone else, a persona that Sasuke would no longer allow himself to be. 

He had lost the battle. Naruto was willing to sacrifice everything to save him. Sasuke was grieved with how much guilt he now felt. Naruto had selflessly endured so much for his sake, to the point where he lay convered in blood and bruises, his face swollen and a limb lost completely

_Why…? Naruto—why?!_

 

* * *

 

“You’ve never attempted to cut me off. Why do you keep involving yourself with me?” Sasuke needed to find out.

“You already know, don’t you? Now that your body can’t move you sure are moving your mouth a lot—“

“Answer me!” he knew exactly what Naruto was talking about.

“…‘Cuz I’m your friend.” Naruto declared, as he always had.

_That’s not all, is it?_

“I’ve heard that before, but what exactly does that mean to you anyway?”

Naruto paused, quietly considering it; what it meant to him was so much more than he could convey. Always, he considered Sasuke as more than something as simple as “friend”. Putting the word “closest” in front of it made it better, but it still didn’t measure up to how important Sasuke was to him. Sakura was his friend, Kakashi, Iruka, Gaara … the word “friend” seemed to match them well. Sasuke was his friend, too, so why did it feel so… lacking? Inappropriate? His best friend, his treasured friend, his one and only closest friend… the words were not quite right and he couldn’t understand why.

How could he explain this to Sasuke? How bitter and empty it felt to watch his dearest friend become so estranged and ravenous. He fought with all he had in an attempt to beat sense into Sasuke, always having a glimmer of hope that it would work one of those times. He wanted to tell Sasuke every day he wished they could just both go home and be happy. He wanted so badly to be back in the village reunited as Team 7, bickering and sharing their lives together. Sasuke being Naruto’s closest friend meant the whole world to him, and he has cherished this bond since the day he declared Sasuke as his rival. So he spoke exactly as he felt:

“It’s just that… when I see you take on stuff and get all messed up it kinda… hurts me. It hurts so much inside that I can’t just leave it alone, you know?”

 Sasuke’s eyes widened at the confession. Naruto knew he understood.

“You…” Sasuke choked, the pain of his arm flaring, “For anyone else?”

“Huh?”

“Would you do this… for anyone else?” Sasuke, avoiding Naruto’s gaze, looked towards the sky. Grey clouds rolled by slowly.

Naruto admired at the outline of Sasuke’s profile, the angular curve of his nose, the scratches on his brow, the way his lashes fell over his cheek on his one closed eye, his dirty raven hair in disarray. He was just as bruised and bloodied, his stained ivory skin dimmed in pale moonlight. At that moment, he was feeling the same agony in his severed arm, the same debilitating exhaustion, the same ache in his heart. 

“I treasure the bonds that I’ve made. I’m not leaving any of my friends behind.”

Sasuke tightened his lips into a hard line. The stars glimmered dimly, so cold and far away.

“But honestly, I don’t think anyone else could have affected me as much as you have.”

Taken aback, Sasuke looked over to Naruto, who was already facing him.

“All this time… I considered you my closest friend. More so, even.” Naruto confided, “And I would do anything for you.”

“Why?!” Sasuke interrupted brashly, almost shouting, “After all I’ve done? All this pain I’ve caused you?”

“Do you really not get it?” Naruto returned his gaze to the moon, big and bright.

Sasuke waited for an answer, brow furrowed and frustration building.

“You idiot…” Naruto uttered, half to himself and half to the boy next to him, “It's gotta be love.”

Naruto had finally found the right word. It was on the tip of his tongue all these years, but had evaded him. He tried before to explain his determination to save Sasuke in the past, calling him a friend and never really being able to convey to the fullest extent to what he felt inside. Love: the word fit perfectly. He _loved_ Sasuke. So much that it hurt.

Sasuke looked as if Naruto had struck him again, being caught off guard. His lips parted, his eyes widened in surprise. Deep down, Sasuke had known what he felt with Naruto was different. For years, he had suppressed and denied it, considering it a weakness. In his quest for power, he wanted nothing to do with it. Before this moment, he wanted liberation from the ties he had with Naruto because he came to realize it too. This thing between them, it was more than friendship.

He watched the word form on Naruto’s split lips, validating the feeling he never permitted himself to have. To hear it spoken with such sincerity was more than Sasuke could take. His heart felt impossibly heavy, and he was overwhelmed by bright blue eyes staring straight into him. He felt a vulnerability that he detested, and yet he couldn’t look away.

All his life, he had goals that he considered absolute. When he made up his mind, it became his ambition. He obsessed over it, making his life devoted to it; killing Itachi and avenging the clan, destroying the leaf and avenging Itachi, destroying the shinobi world and avenging peace… The plans of action were always at the back of his mind, never a moment without carefully coordinating his next move.

But suddenly, with one word, his mind was blank. Everything up to this point seemed like a distant past. He felt the monster that he was become a ghost, killing off the darkness that had eched into his soul. He was reformed into a new and different version of himself, permanently. One that would right all his wrongs, one that would never stop apologizing for the grief he gave Naruto for years. One that would finally know what it is to love, and be loved.

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but his voice failed him. He felt so heavy, so weighted with guilt. He couldn’t stop the tears from welling in his eyes, no matter how much he willed not to. He couldn’t stop the overflow from running down his cheeks, so he had to turn away.

Naruto had noticed, and a sense of relief washed over him,  _He’s finally back…_

“I love you, I know it now,” Naruto wanted to reach out, to wipe away the tears and reassure Sasuke that he was forgiven, but his body refused to move, “I’m sorry it took me a while.”

Sasuke cracked, the silent tears unable to be stopped. He couldn’t say anything yet, his body wouldn’t let him. But he felt it too, he feels it now, more than ever before. Sasuke _loves_ him. He would go through hell and back for him.

"I do too, I.. I do.” Sasuke stammered, turning to face Naruto directly. Shining black eyes met with soft blues, and after a shaky shudder of breath, Sasuke spoke with more resolve than he ever have before, “I love you too.”

Naruto smiled so very big.

**Author's Note:**

> I recorded some ideas for this story with a speech to text thingy on my phone and here are some of the things that “Sasuke” got autocorrected to:  
> Sauce gay, sauce K, so is K, saws okay, saw skate  
> And “Naruto”:  
> On ruto, nah a toe, nadar, no route to


End file.
